1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a plug system that is used in a dispenser for dispensing sheets of material from a roll of absorbent material, as well as a method for reloading the dispenser, and a dispenser having the plug system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional dispensers, the roll of sheet material dispensed from the dispenser is fitted with a male plug.
For such dispensers, the manufacturer of the absorbent material usually supplies rolls of product to be dispensed with the plugs already inserted in respective rolls. In certain dispensers of this type, the plug is only in one end of the roll so that the end user can easily determine which end goes where in the dispenser.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,331 is a dispenser of the male plug type. However, in such dispensers, axles on which the roll rotates are fairly thin and are subject to breaking off from the plug body or subject to deforming. This may occur either during shipping or when the roll is being loaded into the dispenser.
Several attempts have been made to address the above-noted problems including adding a special packing material to the cases of rolls to protect the axles during shipping. However, such packing materials are costly and only protect the axles during shipping. After shipping, this packaging constitutes a waste product that needs to be disposed.
Moreover, the axles are still subject to breakage or deformation when a roll of absorbent material containing the male plug is installed into a dispenser.
In addition, attempts have also been made to use specially designed plugs to ensure a sales right for the manufacturer of the plug. U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,135 to Vandersteene is a dispenser of that type. However, the Vandersteen plug system is complicated and requires various interconnecting parts.